Submarine dredge.



PATENTED FEB. 27, 1906.

T. AVERY SUBMARINB DREDGE. APPLICATION TILED AUG. 1; 1994.

ATTORNEY.

WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES THADDEUS AVERY, JR,

OF JOLIET, ILLINOIS.

SUBIVIARINE DREDGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 27, 1906.

Application filed August 1, 1904. Serial No. 219,004.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, THADDEUS AVERY, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at J oliet, in the county of Will and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Submarine Dredges, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

Figure l is alongitudinal vertical section of apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same. Figs. 3 and 4 are cross-sectins taken on lines 00 0c and y 1 respectively, of Figs. 1 and 2.

This invention relates to hydraulic dredges, and more particularly to dredges used in handling auriferous material beneath the surface of the water.

The object of the invention is to provide submerged apparatus of this description which is capable of economically and expeditiously excavating and extracting the gold from large quantities of auriferous sands and gravels.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, as hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the said drawings, 1 indicates the air and water tight shell or hull of a vessel, preferably circular in cross-section and provided with a hatch-plate 2, through which ingress and egress may be had to its interior.

3 is a horizontal platform or deck within the vessel, and 3 represents vertical bulkheads or partitions therebeneath, forming a number of water-tight compartments 4, in which water may be admitted or exhausted for the purpose of regulating the buoyancy and trim of the vessel.

5 is an electric motor connected by circuitwires 5 from an electric generator on shore.

6 is a centrifugal pump directly driven from the motor, but capable of being disconnected therefrom, so as to utilize the power of the motor for other purposes, as will be presently referred to. The shaft 6 of the pump may advantageously be connected to the armature-shaft of the motor by a claw-coupling 7, of which one of its parts is fixedly secured to the motor-shaft, and the other part is splined to the pump-shaft so as to be free to be moved endwise thereof for engaging or disengaging the one shaft with the other. The fixed part of this coupling is formed or provided with a worm 8, which meshes with a worm-wheel 8, mounted normally loose upon which are journaled on axle ends 13, rigidly secured to the shell. Supporting and steering wheels 14 are journaled on axle 15, extending transversely of and beneath the shell in proximity to the end opposite to that of the said traction-wheels. Centrally of the axle 15 is an upwardly-extending king-post 16, which protrudes through a stufling-box and vertical bearing 17 and is provided at,its upper end with a sector-gear 18, which meshes with a pinion 19, carried on a shaft 20, supported in bearings, such as 20, and provided with a steering-wheel 20 within easy reach of the operator, whereby the wheels may be swerved and the vessel caused to travel in a desired direction ,when motion is imparted to said traction-wheels.

22 is a suction-pipe connected to the pump and extending through the shell end 1 to some distance forwardly thereof and including in its length a universal or ball-and-socket joint 22 in order that its outer end may be swung in proper direction to reach the point desired to be operated upon. This movement of the pipe end may advantageously be accomplished by guy-lines 23, secured to and leading from the pipe about spools 24 and wound or unwound therefrom by gear-wheels 24 and 25, respectively, upon the spools and shaft 26. The latter pass through stufling-boxes 27, secured to the shell, and are provided on their inner ends with hand-wheels 25 for manipulating the spools. A pump-discharge pipe 28 extends to and through the opposite end 1 of the shell and is connected by a flexible tube 28 to a trough or sluice-box 29, provided in its bottom with the customary riffles 29.

In order that an effective stream may act throughout the entire length of the sluicebox and against the quiescent surrounding water, the box is provided with a removable cover 30,'forming with the sluice-box a tubular passage-way for the discharge material. A stream of water is directed against the ground being dug immediately in front of the suction-pipe orifice for the purpose of disintegrating the dirt to be in condition to be acted upon by the current passing into the suctionplpe. This agitating stream is conducted through a flexible pipe 31, connected to an auxiliary motor-driven force-pump 32 from a suctionipe 33, communicating with the outside of t e vessel. In addition to this service the last-named pump may be used to empty the compartments of water by manipulating the proper one of valves 34 of drain-pipes 34 Flexible pipes 35 35 communicatively connect the atmosphere above the surface of the water with that within the vessel, and a circulation of air is caused to flow in through pipe 35 by a rotary fan 36, which may be driven by an independent motor, (indicated by 37.) The inflow of air through one of the pipes will obviously cause an outflow through the pipe 35 to establish an equilibrium of pressures between the interior of the vessel and the outer atmosphere and in so doing furnishes fresh air for the use of the occupants. The upper ends of these pipes may be conveniently held above the surface of the water by attaching them to buoyant body 36. Lines 38 can be utilized to reliably secure the vessel with an anchorage against the disturbing currents of water which prevail upon beaches having a heavy surf. The operation of the invention will be understood from the foregoing description. Among the advantages of the invention are,

first, the auriferous material operated upon being at all times submerged is partly waterborne and in consequence does not require the power to handle the same as with apparatus positioned and operating in a less dense fluid; secondly, the material after the gold has been separated therefrom is discharged from the sluice-box upon the beach-bed that has been previously worked, and hence no special provision has to be made as to machineryfor carrying off the tailings; thirdly, the position of the vessel is not only under the control of the operator as to its movements upon the beach, but also in an emergency by emptying the wav ter-compartments the vessel can be immediately caused to rise to the suface, and, finally, an extensive field heretofore unavailable by reason of the sea swells and surf can be easily mined of its precious metals in the relatively still water beneath the surface.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

v 1. In a submarine dredge, the combination with a water-tight vessel, of an excavating-pump and means to drive the same, a suction-pipe provided with a swingmg end portion, means to control the movement of said end portion, and a discharge-pipe.

2. In a submarine dredge, the combination with a water-tight vessel, of an excavating-pump located within the vessel and provided with a suction-pipe and a dischargepipe, both extending from within the vessel to outside of the same, means located within the vessel to drive said ump, a third pipe extending from within t e vessel to a point adjacent the outer end of said inlet-pipe, means located within the vessel for discharging water through said last-named pipe.

3. In a submarine dredge, the combination with a water-tight vessel, an excavating-pump having suction and discharge pipes and means to drive said pump, of a sluicebox connected to said discharge-pipe and a removable cover for said box' 4. In a submarine dredge, the combination with a water-tight vessel, an excavatingpump having suction and discharge pipes, and means carried within the vessel to drive said pump, of a sluice-box carried by the vessel exteriorly thereof and connected to the discharge-pipe.

5. In a submarine dredge, the combination with a water-tight vessel and the dredging device, of supporting and traction wheels for the vessel, means to rotate the axle of one pair of wheels and means to rotate the other pair of wheels to propel the vessel.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THADDEUS AVERY, JR.

Witnesses: I

PIERRE BARNES, M. E. BREWER. 

